Mentoring

[zelmo1]

How many of you out there mentor young/ new hunters? Somebody mentored me, to some extent, so I try to give back. Youth hunters with non hunting parents seem to respond well, and the parents get involved too. Mentoring is different than taking someone hunting. Its teaching them woodsmanship, why you do what you do and teaching them about the animal they are hunting. I scout with them and let them pick their spots to hunt, with a little input and a questioning attitude. I have had some great hunts with young/new hunters. I see some being good hunters now and it makes me smile. Just wondering what we are doing to help the yungins" do it right." There is a lot of complaining about "slob hunters", we can help out by passing on our habits/knowledge. Z

[GobbleNut]

Thought long and hard about stating an opinion on this subject as I have conflicting thoughts on it.  At first glance, it seems to be a no-brainer.  Sure, we should all be willing to help out new hunters and point them in the right direction,...making sure they get proper guidance in terms of ethics, safety, and the proper approach to hunting.  Having been actively involved in leadership roles in the NWTF state and local chapters, for years (no, decades), I/we mentored hundreds (no exaggeration) of kids and adults both in that guidance, as well as put on dozens of hunting seminars that introduced folks to turkey hunting.  It is a rewarding experience, no doubt, and I fault no one for doing it.

Having stated that,...however,...I have also seen the "downside" of that.  I have watched as one mentored kid (or adult) turned into a hoard of family, friends, and who-knows-who deciding they want to give hunting a try,...and often without that initial guidance that would set them on the proper path.  I have also witnessed the corresponding significant increase in hunter numbers on the landscape,...an increase which has drastically decreased the quality and quantity of the hunting experience, at least in this state, and has also resulted in an increasingly negative impact on our wildlife resources.

I know that at least part of those new crowded conditions that I see in the turkey woods were a function of me/us not understanding the repercussions of what we had been doing over those decades.  We turned a lot of folks into turkey hunters,...who in turn, turned a lot of other folks into turkey hunters.  I suppose my point is,...if you are going to mentor someone (and I certainly don't want to discourage anybody from it), it is best to be a bit selective in doing so.  Take it from someone who now has that 20/20 hindsight as to where too much of a good thing can get you.   

[runngun]

Gobblenut, you are exactly right about that. Definitely something to consider.

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[Greg Massey]

Gobblenut, your post is spot ON..... Things are so different now ....

[Roost 1]

GobbleNut hit this one out of the park. I have mentored myself out of several hunting spots over the years.  I'll still take others but it's gonna be on their place where I can't hunt anyway or it's gonna be on some piece of public land that I don't normally hunt.

Used to people would let you hunt and appreciate if you took them and showed them around the woods.
Nowadays they use you for knowledge and then you never hear from them again.
Modern day decoys make not very good hunters or new hunters, turkey killers pretty quickly.

I see social media posts of these mostly younger guys killing birds in 15 states in one season, makes me wonder how many of those birds were reaped or deer hunted over a decoy.   I seriously doubt they are calling most of these birds to the gun in a place you have never been before without any knowledge of the birds,  their habits, terrain, etc...
Sorry I got off topic here.

[Happy]

I can count the number of people I will help get a turkey and show them what little I know on one hand. But here are my requirements for starters
Be a quality human being. I have wasted enough time on bums and losers.
We hunt their spots.
Gun safety is paramount.
All regulations will be followed.
No decoys .
No blinds.
No trail cameras.
After a few successes then they do the calling and the thinking.
Then they are on their own. We may hunt together at a later date, but if they aren't serious enough to go alone and get a few whoopins, learn through trial and error, then I don't see the point of them clogging up the woods for those that are serious. I have made that rule for my boys as well. I will help them up until they are legal adults. After that, it's on them to kill one or three on their own before we hunt together again. I love em but if they ain't serious at that point they can stay home.

[Farmboy27]

I have been fortunate enough to call in first birds for over a dozen hunters. Some were young kids, some were adults much older than myself. It's always a huge thrill for me to see the excitement in their eyes when they're standing over their first bird. I get way more excited calling for someone new than calling for myself. However, aside from my son and a few extremely close friends, I do protect my hunting areas. When someone asks if I'd try to get them a turkey, my answer is always the same. "Sure thing, I'd love to. Go find somewhere you can hunt and has birds and we'll give it a shot."  That way I don't risk having them or their buddies move in on my spots in the future. And I always make it a point to tell them that I won't hunt spots they find unless I'm with them.

[zelmo1]

Gobblenut hit it perfect. Do what you can to make things better, all we can ask. Z

[Tom007]

Good post, great input. I'll give my thoughts on mentoring. If done correctly, it can be extremely helpful to our sport. The flip side is, it can cause problems for all of us if done incorrectly. I think mentoring is like selecting a close friend. I am a solo hunter. I keep to myself, I have a select few turkey friends (some great hunters on this forum) and a few in my inner social circle that I share my turkey stories with. I believe that a true mentoring relationship is where you take someone under your wing into your spots and teach them woodsman-ship, and the basic art of turkey hunting. This is a very serious endeavor, meaning you have to have complete trust in this person. Turkey spots are sacred areas that hunters have spent years finding. My godson and his father, (my childhood friend) are really the only 2 people I have included in my super-sacred turkey circle. I took my godson out when he was 13 to harvest his first Turkey, he was successful. I spent time with him showing him everything that I know, which isn't much.  I am proud to say that he is one of the best turkey hunters I know, I will add that he's much better than me for sure. He knows where I hunt, but will never go to any of my honey-spots without me. Over the years, he has his share of honey-holes that I honor for him as well. It all comes down to trust, and I am very proud of the relationship between him and I. We share stories, he makes pot calls as a hobby and really enjoys our sport. He's a fine young man. This is a mentoring story that shows sharing in our great sport does not always turn out bad.........be safe

[Dtrkyman]

We need mentors maybe more than ever, if they keep learning from some of the social media clowns we're doomed!

I met a young kid 10 years ago at a camp site, he was with his dad and uncle, they were turkey hunting and fishing, got to chatting one night and got talking about fly fishing, I have guided fly fishing a bit and the kid had lots of questions.

Long story short I have kept in contact with him over the years through text mostly, he met me for a day this spring for a hunt, we had a hell of a time and he damn near called me in a bird!

He has just become a game warden and quite the hunter and fisherman, I had very little to do with it but always kept encouraging him along the way.

[Tail Feathers]

I've mentored my grandkids.  I hunt private, so opportunities to take anyone out is limited.  We have no public turkey hunting within a reasonable driving distance to take others.  I love seeing newbies take their first bird, kids and adults but I can't help too much for the reasons stated and my own spring travels.

[Kylongspur88]

My buddy doesn't turkey hunt but it's been a pleasure to get his kids into to it and show them the ropes. I don't just hunt with anyone for reasons stated above.

[mountainhunter1]

Happy and Farmboy pretty much summed me up, but to answer your question, I have been mentoring four guys in some form or fashion for the past three to four years. I have even bought or made them some of their calls, and got them some camo along the way to help them out. The key for me - I am very picky about who I want to hunt with, and they have to have a certain demeanor before I will open that door. As stated above, I don't show them all of my honey holes. I will take them to some spots, but I have a few spots that I rarely take anyone to no matter what. You can help folks (and I think that we should) without telling them every single thing that you know as far as the landscape. But as far as how to kill a turkey, I will let them pick my brain all they want.

[eggshell]

There are a lot of good points made in this discussion. Gobblenut, Happy and farmboy share in most of my thoughts. In 50 years I can't even remember how many beginners I have taken, taught and shared a first kill with, it's a lot. Having worked a turkey check station, in the past,  I encountered people frustrated with learning almost everyday. Way back in those dark ages there were few other methods to learn quickly. Like Happy I first assessed their character before I made any offers. I made some good acquaintances during his period and saw a lot of thrilled hunters. I always went to their spot and I promised I would not go back. After a few trips and I built trust I might take them to a spot. It has been very rewarding and one of those people has become my traveling buddy and we've hunted many states together.

As Gobblenut said, things have changed since those days in the 70s, 80s and early 90s. If you could get satellite pictures of many turkey areas I bet you would discover that many places that harbored turkeys now have houses, cleared of timber or otherwise developed. In my area they are building solar fields for electric generation. I know of one block of ~2,000 acres that I always saw turkeys on that is now a sea of solar panels and no turkeys. Perhaps this is why turkeys are declining, just too much intrusion.

When we consider mentoring in the form of introducing new hunters to the fold we should first asses the hunter carrying capacity of our area. It's like a college football game or a concert, they only sell tickets for the number of seats available. Sadly the seats are being removed from our stadium and in some instances the stadium removed. There just isn't always room for more. Yes, I believe hunting is a sport of diminishing opportunity and I am glad I will die before I see the future of it. Selfishness reigns in our society along with instant self gratification. This is a formula for trouble in the field. I for one will gladly help someone who ask and is already engaged but will not recruit new hunters. I accept our fate is less not more, if that is viewed as defeatist or cynical, so be it. When I refused to recruit more I am basing that on facts and not fear of loosing a spot or selfishness, I do not believe there are extra seats to sell. Right now we are already selling standing room only seats.

[silent tom]

Besides my two sons, I will never get someone into turkey hunting. 

The resource can't handle the pressure that is happening right now.  It just simply can't.